Big match preview – Newcastle vs West Ham United.

Newcastle take on West Ham this evening.A tale of two United’s will ensue this evening when Avram Grant brings his slighly happier Hammers to St James’ Park.

Both United’s will be looking to build on the respective wins they managed to pick up in their last outing. Newcastle managed a 1-0 win over Wigan in their last game whilst West Ham buried another team that is struggling at the foot of the table as they dispatched Wolves 2-0 at Upton Park at the weekend.

A win for either side would assist in dragging them temporarily clear of the drop zone ahead of the break in fixtures for The FA Cup this coming weekend. In fact if the result goes in favour of the home side, and if other results go the right way, Newcastle could very easily find themselves sitting in eigth place in the table come the end of the evening.

Andy Carroll is still missing for the home side as he continues to recover from a thigh injury. The lanky striker is also likely to miss the weekend trip to Stevenage and is rated as ’50-50′ for the Sunderland match in a couple of weeks time.

Sol Campbell will be missing as he is still struggling with a mystery illness whilst Ryan Taylor and Hatem Ben Arfa remain long term injury absentees.

Shola Amoebi looks likely to play through the pain barrier again whilst Dan Gosling edges ever closer to a first team return after being named in the matchday squad for the game at Wigan last Sunday.

I don’t expect us to make many, if any, changes for the match against West Ham, despite the short break between fixtures. Instead I think that Alan Pardew will opt to rest some players for the match against Stevenage on Saturday evening. Basically, the team that I think will play is the team that played on Sunday at Wigan.

West Ham will give fitness tests to Valon Behrami ans Lars Jacobsen ahead of the game although both are expected to be fit enough to at least make the bench. Mark Noble returned from injury against Wolves at the weekend and is pushing for a place in the starting eleven.

Despite the return of those three players, West Ham still have a lengthly injury list to contend. Top of the crocks is the one and only Kieron Dyer, which is to be expected I guess, but joining him in the treatment room are Jack Collison, Anthony Edgar, Peter Kurucz, Manuel da Costa, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Herita Ilunga and Benni McCarthy.

Perhaps the most intriguing battle of the night could take place in the middle of the park when Cheik Tiote and Scott Parker go toe-to-toe. The winner of that battle could have a very real impact on the result this evening, but the prospect of seeing the two players face-off against one another is mouth-watering.

West Ham have not won at St James’ Park since 1998 when The Hammers won 3-0, although Carlton Cole has managed to net against Newcastle in his last two games.

The 3-1 victory West Ham recorded at Fulham in their last away outing was their first away victory in 27 attempts. The last time they won back-to-back away games was in 2007.

Newcastle have scored 20 goals in their 10 league games at St James’ Park, but have been beaten four times on their home patch – more than any other team. They have won only two of their last nine league games on Tyneside, keeping just the one clean sheet in the process.

It’s a tough one to call in my opinion. My heart is telling me that Newcastle will build on the Wigan victory by taking three points again this evening, but then my head remembers that I said much the same thing in the build up to the Blackpool, Stoke and Blackburn games. On that basis, I’m saying nothing!

Massive game tonight, potentially the biggest of the season thus far. If we take 3 points, I think its a good indication that we’re as good as safe and it just piles even more pressure on WH, given the fact these are probably the games they think they should be winning if they’re going to stay up. I reckon we can take it, 2-1.
Excellent news about Benny and about Gosling aswell like. Really pleased we’ll see Benny in black and white again and i’ve been looking forward to Goslings return, if he does end up on the bench tonight I wouldn’t mind seeing him given 10-15 mintues, providing he feels up for it.

Also, Stardust-Where does Pardew mention that Tiote “isnt ready for a big club”?..Not encouraging like. Even talk of him moving on should be immediatly dismissed by his current boss, nevermind saying he isn’t ready for it yet and calling us a smaller club in the process!

I have more confidence in Pardew for tonight I honestly do and I think we will be fired up. He beat WH 4-0 when he was at Charlton, and that was the season Charlton went down. This sort of home game I wouldn’t have had much confidence in C.H for after sitting through Wigan ect.

I don’t score many goals, I know that,” he says, revealing himself as one. “It is the one thing missing for me in a Newcastle shirt. I have never scored many goals in my career, but I hope I can contribute a few.”

It is a topic he has discussed with his new manager. “I’d just like to see him a little bit more progressive,” Alan Pardew (pictured below) reveals.

“I think, actually, he could be even more dynamic. That’s something I’m trying to work with him on.”

That Tioté is not the finished product encourages Pardew to think he can keep the player in the January transfer window.

“I’d say he isn’t quite ready yet (to move to a “bigger” club), not as much as Andy (Carroll) would be anyway,” he says. “He takes risks, because he’s so strong. He can hold two or three players off, he gets himself booked.

Tbh I agree with most of what he’s said there, and since he says, ‘not as much as Carroll would be’ and he has said Carroll is not for sale. That suggests he was talking hypothetically. Of course quotes can be taken out of context when written down. He dosen’t even say the quote by the looks of it the journo has added it as a suggestion if you look at the brackets.

he’s on the money, obviously seems to know someone connect with the club.
Said Ben Arfa was going to sign this week, said it was done yesterday and was going to be anounced today, it was. Said the club had recieved an offer for Carroll yesterday, and look what’s in the news today…

WUMs just take vaguly plausable stabs in the dark, he talks in details. Also said Bentley was next, so time will tell

am i the only 1 who doesnt really rate ranger that much ? think he’s an ok attacking midfielder but he couldnt score in a brothel. full of beans (as ud expect with a young un ) but i dont see him improving much. like i said canny as a sub, but think thats all he will ever be imo. of course i hope im proved wrong